Combined spike-extractor and rail-filter.



No. 887,374. PATENTED MAY 12, 1908. D. G. ARMSTRONG & W. P. FITZGERALD.COMBINED SPIKE BXTRAGTOR AND RAIL LIFTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22. 1908,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DANIEL C. ARMSTRONG AND WILLIAM I.FITZGERALD, O1 PRINCESS ANNE, MARYLAND.

COMBINED SPIKE-EXTRACTOR AND RAIL-LIFTER.

Application filed January 22, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DANIEL C. ARM- STRONG and WILLIAM P. FITZGERALD,citizens of the United States, residing at Princess Anne, in the countyof Somerset, State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful CombinedSpike-Extractor and Rail- Lifter, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a combined spike extractor and rail lifter.

The usual practice in effecting repairs of railway rails is to employ anextractor for removing the spikes, and a jack for lifting the rails andholding them elevated while the new cross tie is being positioned, orthe road bed tamped up to secure the proper level. The objection to thisprocedure is that it requires two separate implements to effect thedesired repairs.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an implement whichshall combine, in a ready and practical manner, a spike extractor and arail lifter, the parts of the implement being so constructed andarranged that one shall not interfere with the other in use, and,further, in which the rail lifting portion of the implement shall beautomatic in its operation in looking the rail in elevated position, andsimilarly operative in unlocking when the rail is to be lowered to itsproper bed.

' With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the natureof the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts, of a combined spike extractor andrail lifter, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts,Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through theimplement. Fig. 2 is a similar view, certain of the parts being brokenaway. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the implement.

The implement com rises a hollow rectangular base 1, prefera ly ofmetal, and cast in one piece, or made in sections suitably assembled.Extending upward from the base are two standards 3 between which ispivoted a lever 4 having one end formed into a claw 5 of the typeusually employed in withdrawing railwa spikes. The points of the claw,when the atter is in position to engage the Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented May 12, 1908.

Serial No. 412,205.

head of the spike, is sufficiently spaced from the front wall 6 of thebase to insure easy positioning of the claw under the head of the spike,thereby to insure the proper coaction between the parts, and to cause asufficient straddling of the head of the spike to guard against anydanger of slippage.

Pivotally connected with the lever at a point adjacent to the standardsare two arms 7, each of which carries an inwardly projecting pin or lug3, the two being in transverse alinement. These pins are adapted toengage with an inclined plate 9 that is rigid with the standard 10carried by-the rear wall 11 of the base. The forward end of the plate,or that facing the claw, isrounded or beveled at 12, while the rear endis provided with a transverse notch or seat 13 of a size to receive thepins 8. The normal position of the pins relatively to the plate is abovethe same, and contact between the parts ensues when a rail is to belifted, the plate serving to guide the pins to the notch or seat inwhich they will be held by the pressure of the rail uponthe claw.

In using the implement as a claw or extractor, the base is first placedupon the cross tie with the head of the spike appearing through theopening in the base adjacent to the front wall 6, and the claw is thenpassed around the head of the spike, and upon downward pressure beingapplied to the lever at its longer end, the spike will be extracted inthe usual manner.

Vhen the track is to be lifted, the base and claw are slipped under thebase of the rail, and upon the lever being depressed, the rail will belifted. During this operation, the locking pins 8 slide down the plate9, and, as soon as they drop over the rear end thereof, will engage withthe notch 18, and thereby prevent the claw end of the implei'nent fromowering, so that the rail will effectively be held elevated while thenecessary re )airs are being made. When the rail is to be lowered, thelong end of the lever is slightly depressed, whereupon the locking pinswill drop out of engagement with the notch 13, and will ride up againstthe under side of the plate until they come into contact with therounded or beveled front end of the plate, whereupon they will beswitched back to the top of the latter and thus be in position again tooperate in the manner above described.

It will be seen from the foregoing description, that while theimprovements herein de fined are simple in character, they will bethoroughly eflicient for the purposes designed, and will result in theproduction of a thoroughly reliable and durable implement capable ofperforming the double functions described.

We claim 1. An implement of the class described comprising a base, alever supported thereby, a pair of arms pivotally connected with thelever and provided with inwardly projecting pins, a plate supported inan inclined position by the base and with which the pins are adapted toengage, and means for locking the arms to the plate.

2. An implement of the class described comprising a base, standardscarried thereby, a lever pivotally connected with the standards, a pairof arms pivotally connected with the lever and provided with inwardlyproj ecting pins, and a plate supported in an inclined position on thebase and provided with a notch to engage with the pins to lock the leveragainst downward movement at its operative end, and with a beveledsurface to deflect the pins from the under to the upper side of theplate.

3. An implement of the class described comprising a base, standardscarried thereby, a lever pivotally supported by the stand ards andprovidedwith a claw, a pair of arms pivoted to the lever and providedwith inwardly projecting pins, and a plate supported in an inclinedposition by the base and provided at one end with a notch to be engagedby the pins and at its other end with a beveled portion to deflect thepins from the under side of the plate to the upper side thereof.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have heretoafliXed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL c. ARMSTRONG. WILLIM/I P. FITZGERALD.

Witnesses:

WM. J. NEALE, O. E. DOYLE.

